Joint connection.



l. MANNHEIMER. JOINT CONNECTION. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. I916.

Patented Jan. 29, 1918.

entrain s rarns PATENT cream ISAAC MANNHEIMER, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

a oma. connnc'rroiv.

Application filed November 23, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Isaac MANm-mnmn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Joint Connections, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a steam joint, for instance, the connection between headers and tubes adapted for use in superheaters, particularly locomotive superheaters, and has for its object the provision of means for making and maintaining a leak-proof joint at such connections; further, it is the object of my invention to provide means for forcing the parts of the connection firmly together, but at the same time maintaining a slightly yieldable connection in the clamping means between the headers and tubes, so that the vibrations of the locomotive will be cushioned at the clamping connections in order to relieve the joint faces from the jars of such vibrations, thus preventing loosening of the joint by excessive wear and vibration.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide mean for compensating for the variations in expansion or contraction of the metal of the various parts of the connection, thus further assisting in maintaining a tight joint and relieving the strain upon the parts.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, m which latter:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section through a locomotive, showing a superheater having headers andtubes connected by my improved connection.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line H of Fig. 2.

11 represents the smoke-box of a locomotive in which are located superheaters, preferably comprising a distributing header 13 adapted to receive steam through a main dry pipe 1 1, and distribute it to the various superheater tubes 15, and a collecting header 16 which receives the superheated steam.

Specification of Letters latent.

Fatented Jan. 29, 1918.

Serial No. 132,978.

from the said tubes. The collecting header 1 connected with a delivering pipe 17, leadmg, for instance, to the engine-cylinder. The superheater tubes each comprise a looped pipe having its looped portion 19 extending within a fire tube 20 of the locomotive boiler, and having its ends 21, 22, extending outwardly and then bent upwardly in substantially parallel relation, so that one end 21 terminates beneath the distributing header 13, and the other end 22 terminates beneath the collecting header 16, the headers being provided with suitable openings 23 in axial alinement with the said ends of the tubes.

The parts thus far described are of wellknown and standard construction, and are described and illustrated to show the application of my improved connection thereto.

The improved connection to which my invention relates is shown generally at 24 and is adapted to be used in connecting the ends 21, 22, of the superheater tubes to the distributing and collecting headers respectively, a joint being formed in which the coacting faces are capable of being rotatably ground one upon the other to insure a tight joint, it having been found that in structures heretofore in general use, it is impossible to relatively rotate the headers and tubes.

In the present exemplification of my invention, the ends of the superheatcr tubes are each provided with an enlargement 25, preferably formed integral with the tube, and having a curved shoulder 26 at its lower edge, forming one member of a ball and socket connection. A collar 27 is loosely mounted upon each tube end beneath the enlargement 25. The bore 28 of the loose collar is counter-sunk to form a socket 29 in which the shoulder 26 is adapted to bear, to form a ball and socket connection between the tube ends and the loose collar.

edge of the enlargement upon the tube, to prevent lateral movement of the connecting member relative to the tube. The edge of the enlargement may be provided with an annular rabbet 33, forming a clearance space between the face 30 and the annular meeting line between the face 35 and innerface of the flange 36.

In practice, the eoacting faces 30 and 35 will be preferably initially separately ground, to form flat faces, and the connecting membe-r3l will then be rotated by any suitable means upon'the cooperating face 30 of the enlargement, to give the final scating of the face upon the face 30, thus insuring a tight joint.

T he upper face of the connecting member is curved as shown at 37, forming a bearing surface adapted to fit within a socket 38 counter-sunk in each of the openings 23 inthe headers above the ends of the superheater tubes, thus forming a ball and socket connection. In order to form a tight oint between the headers and the connecting" members, the curved face 37 and the socket 38 of each JOlIlt, after an initial separate grinding, are preferably ground together,

by rotating-the connecting member in its coactmg socket by any suitable means, for instance, by mounting it upon the rotating shaft of a hand drill.

The final grinding of the connecting member against the face 30 and in its socket may be accomplished by the interposition of emery powder or other abradingmeans between the parts, or the parts may be ground together by mere contact between themselves.

The connecting member may be provided with means forreceiving a turning tool, for

instance, by providing the flange 36 with an outer periphery of polygonal cross-section, asshown at 3i, so that the connecting member may, if desired, be ground while located between the faces 30 and 38, in order that these faces, and the faces 35 and 37, may be respectively ground upon each other while in place. This means also enables the connecting member to be turned for grinding said faces from time to time without removal of the connecting member.

Grinding the faces upon each other insures a'superior joint and corrects inaccuracies which occur in practice in grinding the faces independently.

Means are provided for firmly holding the connecting members against the headers, and the ends of the superheater tubes against the connecting members, to maintain a leakproof joint. In the present embodiment of my invention, this is accomplished by providing a yoke 39 adapted to engage the collars 27 upon each pair of tube ends :21, 22. The yoke is formed with openings 42, 43,

therein, so positioned that the yoke may"- vided with lugs 48 engaging the bolt-head forpreventing turning ofthe bolt.

Themeans for vertically positioning the yoke upon the clamping bolt, consist in the present instance of a spring-pressed collar 49 slidably-mounted upon the bolt beneath the yoke, so as to engage the latter, and preferably formed with a curved upperface 50 which engages a coacting face 51 of a socket countersunk in the central aperture of the yoke. A nut 52 and a jam-nut 53 are threaded upon the lower end ofthe clamping bolt, and a coil-spring 5-l is interposed between the nut and the collar 49, so that the latter will be forced against the yoke, which will in turn exert pressure upon the ends of the superheater tube, thus firmly holding the parts of the connection together and forming and maintaining a tight jointbetween the coacting faces 111' thewall of the steam-passage for preventing leaks. The spring is preferably aheavyspring of great resisting powers, and is shown as a helical spring'square in cross-section. A washer 57 may be interposed between the spring and nut if desired to prevent the spring being turned by-the nut when the latteris rotated.

Thebores 28*of the collars 27, and the openings 42, 43 andcentral aperture 45 in the yoke, are of greater diameter than the parts passing therethrough, in order to permit the yoke and connecting partsto ac commodatethemselves to variations in structure, to relievejars, and to provide for differences in expansion and contraction of the metals.

In practice it is'de'sirable to insulate the spring 5et'from the heat-in the smoke-box of the locomotive, and in. the present instance this is accomplished by surrounding the spring and nut with suitable insulating material, such as asbestos, as shown at 55, the insulating material being held in place preferably by a metal cap 56, surrounding the insulation and preferably threaded upon the clamping bolt below the jam-nut 53, as shown at 58, although any desired means may be employed for holding the cap inposition.

It will be noted that by the construction which Iemploy, the connecting member may be ground directly'upon itsseat in the header, and its lowerface may be ground lit) directly upon the upper face of the end of the superheater tube, so that when the parts are assembled and held together firmly by the yoke, a leak-proof joint will be formed at the joint between the connecting member and the header, and also between the connecting member and the top of the end of the tube.

Further, by employing a spring-pressed yoke for holding the parts of the connection firmly together, any wear between the coacting faces of the connection will be taken up by the spring, thus always holding the parts firmly together. The spring will also compensate for the unequal expansion or contraction of the clamping bolt and'joint connection, which would otherwise cause loosening of the joint and the consequent liability of leakage.

By forming a yieldable connection between the clamping bolt and yoke, vibrations caused by the movement of the locomotive, which would otherwise be transmitted to the joint connection between headers and tubes, or to the threaded connection between the bolt and nut, thereby causing excessive wear and straining of the parts,

will be absorbed to a great extent by the yieldable clamping connection, which will, however, secure the joints together with sufficient pressure to maintain a leak-proof joint.

It is obvious that variations in construction of the parts and planes in which they are located and directions in which they extend, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with headers of a superheating system, of a superheating element having a pair of ends adapted to be connected to said headers, each of said ends provided with a bearing face, a connecting member for each of said ends, each of said connecting members having an end provided with a bearing face adapted to engage said respective first-named bearing faces, the other end of each of said connecting members provided with a convex bearing face, said headers respectively provided with openings having countersunk sockets communicating therewith, said convex bearing faces received in said sockets and coacting with the walls of said sockets for forming ball and socket joint connections, said connecting members provided with means to rotate the same respectively between and in contact with said first-named bearing faces and said walls of said sockets while maintaining equal distance between said ends of said superheating element and said headers, and means for clamping said ends of said superheating element and said walls of said sockets toward one another with said connecting members between the same.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with headers of a superheating system, of a superheating element having a pair of ends adapted to be connected to said headers, each of said ends provided with an end bearing face, said headers respectively provided with sockets, said sockets provided with concave bearing walls, a pair of connecting members, each of said connecting members having one end provided with an end bearing face, its other end provided with a convex bearing face, and its outer periphery provided with rotating means, said bearing faces on said connecting members coacting respectively with said first-named end bearing faces and said concave bearing faces for forming ball and socket joints, constructed and arranged for grinding said joints by rotation of said connecting members while maintaining equal distance between said first-named ends and said headers, and means for clamping said first-named ends and said headers toward one another with said connecting members between the same.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a pair of headers of a superheating system, of a superheating element having a pair of ends, said ends adapted to be respectively removably connected to said headers, a rotatable connecting member between each of said ends and the header with which it coacts, said rotatable connecting members and said headers and ends provided with coacting joint faces, each of said connecting members provided with means for rotating the same during maintenance of equal distance between said ends and said headers, a yoke coacting with said respective ends, a tension-member hav-= ing attachment with said headers and passing through said yoke for clamping said ends, connecting members and headers together, and a spring surrounding said tension-member and cushioning the pressure exerted thereby, said tension-member and spring located between said ends of said superheating element. 7

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a pair of headers of a superheating system, of a superheating element having a pair of ends, said ends adapted to be respectively removably connected to said headers, a rotatable connecting member between each of said ends and the header with which it coacts, said rotatable connecting members and said headers and ends provided with coacting joint faces, each of said connecting members provided with means for rotating the same during maintenance of equal distance between said ends and said headers, a yoke coacting with said respective ends, a tension-member havingr attachment with said headers and passing through said yoke for clamping said ends, connecting members and headers together, a spring surrounding said tension member and cushlonmg the pressure exerted thereby, sald tension-member and spring 10- cated between said ends of said superheatlng element, insulating material surrounding said spring, and a cap received about said insulating material.

5, In avdevice of the character'described, the. combination with headers of a superheating system, of a superheating element having a pair of ends adapted to be removably connected to said headers, a connect-- for rotating the same during maintenance"- of axlal distance between said ends and headers, each of said ends provided with ends, said collar and enlargement at each of said ends provided with coacting faces and said collars independently shiftable, ayoke .Coacting with said collars, and a:tens10n-- member received between said ends of said superheating element and having connection with said. headers for clamping said :25 an enlargement, a collar about each of said collars against vsaid enlargements and, said connecting members between said ends of scribing witnesses.

ISAAC MANN HEIMERP Witnesses THERESA M. SILBER, CHARLES E. WEBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe (Zommissionenof Patents,

Washington, I 13.

said superheating element andv said headers In testlmony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name 1n the presence of two sub-- 

